|
Post by Cherry on Feb 22, 2013 20:47:05 GMT
The following is a description by Alan Titchmarsh of two fertilisers which showed me the error I made in purchasing Bonemeal last year instead of Blood, Bone and Fishmeal:
Blood, Bone and Fishmeal is a general fertilizer that supplies the three most important plant foods - nitrogen for leaf and shoot growth, phosphates for root development, and potassium for flower and fruit production. Use it at the rate of one or two handfuls to the square metre during the growing season and one week before sowing or planting. It is an organic fertilizer that encourages bacterial activity within the soil. Inorganic fertilizers supply more concentrated nutrition that the plant can utilize more rapidly, but they make beneficial soil bacteria (which would otherwise break down the stuff) redundant. Use inorganic fertilizers (such as sulphate of ammonia) to give crops a rapid boost, and organic fertilizers to improve fertility.
Bonemeal is high in phosphates but, to be fair, most of them are held onto so tightly by the soil that few are made available to the plants. Bonemeal is always recommended as a suitable fertilizer to dust around the hole when you're planting trees and shrubs, but in reality the plants probably see little benefit. Use it if it makes you feel better - I don't bother any more!
He also describes Growmore, Sulphate of Ammonia, Rose Fertilizer, Tomato Fertilizer and Foliar Feeds. These are shorter and just as interesting if anyone wishes me to type these up.
|
|
|
Post by peony on Feb 22, 2013 21:13:08 GMT
Very useful information Cherry, I use blood, fish and bonemeal because its what my late father recommended as a good slow release fertiliser. I would be interested to read the information about rose fertiliser which is another one I use.
|
|
|
Post by Geranium on Feb 22, 2013 21:14:26 GMT
Oh, that's good - I use b. f.& b. to feed my roses and clems! Nice to have the 'Royal' seal of approval! ;D
I'd be pleased to hear what AT says about Growmore and tomato food, though actually I tend to use Miraclegro, not Growmore.
|
|
edwin
Full Member
Posts: 133
|
Post by edwin on Feb 22, 2013 21:43:59 GMT
This year i am going to use super phoshate few weeks before planting, 200 gr per 10 m2. It is supposed to help the dahlia cuttings developed good tubers during the year. First time i am trying and i will let you all know about the results because on few beds i wont use it to know the difference
|
|
|
Post by scrumpy on Feb 22, 2013 22:29:00 GMT
It's not what you add to the soil, it's getting what's already there absorbed by plants. Things like Ph and soil conductivity are important, as is organic matter, and that can only be determined by specialist soil analysis, not by kits you buy off the shelf.
I use fish blood and bone for the N,P and K, together with calcified seaweed to give trace elements, and as a conditioner, prior to planting. Each autumn after digging up the tubers I dig in soil conditioner compost. At planting time I sprinkle Vitax Q4 plus nutrimate around the planting hole.
After years of trying endless things to get good tubers, including superphosphate, i've come to the conclusion tuber production depends on the type of soil you have, not what you add to it.
As to soluble fertilisers, I use them plus liquid humus and liquid seaweed throughout the growing season. Humus and seaweed are supposed to make nutrients in the soil more available to plants.
|
|
|
Post by sweetpea on Feb 22, 2013 23:28:41 GMT
Just got some B F & B to use on my roses which do not normally get any supplement. Bone meal I seldom use but steamed bone FLOUR is an excellent additive to the sweetpea trench along with decent wood ash. Superphosphate is used to advantage after SPs are plantsed out (also runner beans) by sprinkling a line all along the rows of plants and letting the rain wash in to the roots.
re dahlias I never do anything for the tubers as I always grow POT TUBERS and the field tubers are discarded being too difficult to overwinter safely. (well for me anyway)
|
|
|
Post by grindle on Feb 23, 2013 5:49:16 GMT
I use bf&b so that was interesting Cherry, also growmore and rose fertilizer would be nice to know
|
|
|
Post by Cherry on Feb 23, 2013 14:30:55 GMT
Oh, that's good - I use b. f.& b. to feed my roses and clems! Nice to have the 'Royal' seal of approval! ;D I'd be pleased to hear what AT says about Growmore and tomato food, though actually I tend to use Miraclegro, not Growmore. Geranium, this whole thought process was down to your comments on what you had done in the garden. I thought I should see if there was a real difference between b,f & b and plain bone meal. What a shock I got, because there is a definite difference. Here are the other fertilizers covered in my old book by Alan Titchmarsh: Sulphate of Ammonia is high in nitrogen, which boosts plant growth. Leafy crops will enjoy a light dusting over the surrounding soil in spring and summer. Apply it very sparingly at the rate of half a clenched handful to the square metre and use it only between March and August when plants are actively growing. It's useful to keep bacteria fuelled within the compost heap. Growmore is an inorganic granular general fertilizer. It is readily available and reasonably priced but I find that blood, bone and fishmeal is more effective and a better tonic for the soil. Rose Fertilizer is just the job for getting plants to flower and fruit well, thanks to its high potash and magnesium content. Use it on well-established plants that are coming into flower or fruit - tomatoes, dahlias and other greedy types. Half a clenched handful to the square metre is ample. Tomato Fertilizer in liquid form is high in potash and can be diluted and used on all flowers and fruits. It is invaluable and quick-acting. Foliar Feeds are useful where growing crops need a quick boost. They are diluted in water and sprayed on to the foliage, preferably on a dull day. The leaves rapidly absorb the nutrients that perk up the plant. The effect is not as long-lasting as when fertilizers are applied to the soil.
|
|
|
Post by SueA on Feb 23, 2013 19:57:12 GMT
It's interesting to read about all the different properties of the various fertilizers. I don't use anything on plants in the ground other than maybe a bit of fish, blood & bone when I plant them & very occasionally a mulch of compost. On plants in pots, tubs etc. I might use chicken manure pellets on veg.or organic potato feed granules & the odd liquid seaweed feed, I like my plants to fend for themselves! ;D
|
|
|
Post by Cherry on Feb 23, 2013 21:22:08 GMT
It's interesting to read about all the different properties of the various fertilizers. I don't use anything on plants in the ground other than maybe a bit of fish, blood & bone when I plant them & very occasionally a mulch of compost. On plants in pots, tubs etc. I might use chicken manure pellets on veg.or organic potato feed granules & the odd liquid seaweed feed, I like my plants to fend for themselves! ;D Obviously your soil is good and you do enough.
|
|
|
Post by Geranium on Feb 24, 2013 7:33:30 GMT
Thank goodness I seem to be doing the right thing, Cherry! I use b. f. & b twice a year, dig in my 'mixture' of compost and chicken manure pellets when I plant anything, and feed other plants with tomato food or Miraclegro during the growing season. I try to mulch as much of the garden as possible in late winter, too - using the contents of the compost bin, and also give my roses some manure when I can get any.
|
|
|
Post by grindle on Feb 24, 2013 8:05:18 GMT
I think I'll ditch the growmore and just use bfb rose fertilizer and miracle grow, who knows, I might even get some flowers this year ;D
|
|
|
Post by peony on Feb 24, 2013 9:15:11 GMT
I shall stay with bf&b, rose fertiliser and once a year pelleted chicken manure, and the free seaweed feed I won in the Garden Club raffle
|
|
|
Post by Geranium on Feb 25, 2013 6:54:52 GMT
Real seaweed is supposed to make a good fertiliser! ;D I can't walk as far as the beach any more, mostly as Henry isn't allowed to walk that distance.
|
|
|
Post by Rosie on Feb 25, 2013 10:11:53 GMT
I use BF&B in the beds but for my tubs and pots i use Richard Jacksons flower power, it's really good stuff. I have just ordered it for this year, last year i ran out and noticed a huge difference in the flowers i got.
|
|